The criticism of No. 5 South Florida began even before Sunday's release of the first Bowl Championship Series rankings. On Fox's NFL pregame show last weekend, former Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson said USF doesn't belong in the Top 5. He also said there are several two-loss teams that could wear the Bulls out.

"That comment (upset) me pretty good," said USF quarterback Matt Grothe. "But I won't get into that. I think that has to do with us only being around for 11 years, and Miami was around for ever and ever and ever." Grothe said some traditionalists can't accept the Bulls speedy arrival since it took much longer for others to reach the national stage.

Saturday, the Bulls (5-0) host rival Central Florida (3-2) before only the second sellout crowd in program history. If the Bulls win, they are expected to be in the top five when the first BCS rankings are released. This week, CollegeBCS.com has USF ranked No. 4 in its BCS projections with a No. 2 average computer poll ranking. Next Thursday, the Bulls travel to Rutgers.

Says analyst Jerry Palm of CollegeBCS.com: "As long as you stay undefeated you have a shot (at contending for the BCS title), because the reality is we don't really have many years where you have more than two undefeated teams. Because USF is not a blue blood, people don't feel they belong, and that's unfair."

USF has already beaten Auburn, North Carolina and West Virginia. However, its only remaining ranked opponent is No. 17 Cincinnati. If the Bulls continue to win, expect the criticism and questions about whether they belong to intensify. "If people want to say that, I can't do much about it," said Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese. "We have a BCS poll, and the poll is computerized, and it will kick in who you play and your strength of schedule, and South Florida's schedule will match up with anyone."

Red-faced:

"The Aggies are embarrassed right now," Texas A&M athletics director Bill Byrne said Thursday about the secretive for-pay newsletter coach Dennis Franchione sent to boosters. Byrne said Franchione will be admonished, and it will be part of the coach's performance review at the end of the season.

The school said it will report possible violations related to the newsletter to the NCAA. David Batson, A&M's compliance officer, said he did not expect the NCAA to penalize the program with sanctions. Some of the newsletters contained information about prospective A&M recruits. The NCAA prohibits a school from commenting publicly on recruits until they sign letters of intent. Franchione also had to shut down his personal website, which was funded by the $1,200 a year select boosters paid for the newsletter.

Now the questions will persist: Given so much embarrassment, will this be Franchione's final season? His $2 million-a-year contract runs through 2012. He's 30-24 overall, 17-17 in the Big 12 and 1-3 vs. Texas. Much will depend on how the Aggies (5-1) fare after one of the most difficult second-half schedules in the country: Texas Tech, Nebraska, No. 20 Kansas, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 11 Missouri and No. 22 Texas.

Variety:

The two-quarterback trend continues. See LSU, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Rutgers and Illinois, among others, that have turned to younger understudies at various points this season.

At No. 19 Illinois, Juice Williams is entrenched as the starter but has been replaced in the last two games in the second half by Eddie McGee. Both times, against Penn State and Wisconsin, McGee helped seal the win. But Williams said he doesn't mind being relieved by McGee. "This allows him to go out there and be a closer," Williams said.

Faculty survey:

Half of the faculty members at schools with some of the nation's top sports programs think decisions on intercollegiate athletics are driven at least moderately by "priorities of an entertainment industry" and are not in line with the university's academic mission, according to a new survey. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics polled 2,000 professors from major colleges in advance of a faculty summit Monday in Washington, D.C. Previous reports by the commission, a blue ribbon panel of educators and business leaders, have called on faculties to help "restore the balance of athletics and academics."

Also, 61% say athletes are motivated to earn degrees and are academically prepared but in general are not satisfied with classwork of football and basketball players. In terms of money, 72% think salaries for football and basketball coaches are excessive while 45% do not believe or only slightly believe scholarships adequately compensate football and basketball players.

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